There was a time, not so long ago, when actors were expected to navigate intimate scenes with no specific guidance. But as Olivia Petter writes in the Guardian, now “intimacy coordinators are an auspicious part of a post-#MeToo industry.”
Across theatre, film, and TV, intimacy coordinators are increasingly important in choreographing scenes involving nudity, simulated sex, and other forms of close contact, ensuring that there is transparency among all departments involved. “We are there to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible,” says intimacy coordinator Robbie Taylor Hunt, “and to help the intimacy feel like a really lived-in, bold version.” Here, we explain what it’s really like for actors to work with one.
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At its simplest, an intimacy coordinator is a trained professional who ensures that scenes involving intimacy, whether physical or emotional, are handled safely. “It is a specialist consultant role,” says Taylor Hunt, whose screen credits include Big Boys; You; and Red, White, and Royal Blue, as well as stage shows such as Oh, Mary! and the Barbican’s 2025 production of The Seagull. “We’re there with a consent focus, as well as having a creative arm and element.”
In theatre, the role is often referred to as an intimacy director rather than an intimacy coordinator. “Intimacy directors are a safeguard against inappropriate behaviour, offering a clear and structured framework for intimate scenes,” according to Roundabout Theatre Company. “Stage is often, choreographically, much harder,” Taylor Hunt says. “There could be an audience from every angle.”
Whether you’re on a stage or a set, though, intimacy coordinators are there to do the same job. “We’re trained professionals.… We help achieve what the director of the production wants, more efficiently and more dynamically.”
“Euphoria” Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
There is a common misconception that intimacy coordinators are “just a kind of box-ticking, health and safety” addition to a set or stage, Taylor Hunt says, but they have a clear “creative and practical” purpose too. “People might assume we are there to tamper with the intimacy or reduce it, but, in my experience, much more of the time we’ve been able to heighten the intimacy.”
Taylor Hunt says “intimacy is a wide umbrella and a subjective umbrella,” but coordinators are most commonly called in for:
- Scenes involving full, partial, or perceived nudity
- Scenes involving sexual action, whether solo or with other people
- Kissing scenes
- Childbirth scenes
- Scenes involving bodily functions, such as urination or menstruation
- Medical examination scenes
- Familial scenes, such as a mother and child hugging in bed
- Scenes concerning sensitive topics, such as abortion or sexual assault
“Anything involving physical touch – particularly if it is erotic or sexualised – should be consulted on by an intimacy coordinator,” says Taylor Hunt, adding that the Bectu industry standards are worth consulting for further guidance.
“The role of an intimacy coordinator varies depending on the project,” Petter writes. “In most cases, they begin by breaking down intimate scenes in the script and having confidential discussions with the relevant crew and actors to put a clear plan in place ahead of shooting.”
Working with an intimacy coordinator may feel slightly strange if you’ve never done it before. Taylor Hunt says when he first started working as an intimacy coordinator, “there was a lot of education needed about what the role was, what we were there to do, and what the process is.”
But “it is similar to how you might work with a fight director,” says Amy (not her real name) an actor who worked with an intimacy coordinator on her most recent theatre production. “Basically, an intimacy coordinator is there to choreograph the intimate scenes.”
For intimacy coordinator Mam Smith, whose credits include Euphoria, the focus is also on communication and trust. “Like any relationship dynamic, the more you can build trust and the more you can create a shorthand…it allows you to facilitate more quickly,” she told Backstage. “Each person is an individual, and my job is to create transparency and to facilitate.”
There are, of course, differing opinions. Some, such as Mikey Madison during her work on Anora, have chosen not to work with an intimacy coordinator. Sean Bean suggested the presence of coordinators might disrupt the natural flow of a scene. Many actors, however, have pushed back on that idea. Rachel Zegler publicly defended intimacy coordinators. “Intimacy coordinators establish an environment of safety for actors,” she posted on X. “I was extremely grateful for the one we had on [West Side Story] — they showed grace to a newcomer like myself [and] educated those around me who’ve had years of experience.”
For Amy, having an intimacy coordinator on site “made me feel a lot more comfortable. It felt possible to say if we felt nervous about things and to have boundaries.”
Taylor Hunt says it’s also about having someone on set who’s on the same page as the actors – and there from the beginning. “Sometimes I’m there cheering people on, I’m hyping them up to be ready for their scene,” he says. “Sometimes people want the opposite from me – they want me to be a grounded rock, a bit more like a bodyguard.”
It’s not currently a legal requirement to have an intimacy coordinator on set in the UK, but industry expectations are shifting quickly. More productions, especially high-budget film and TV projects, now treat hiring an intimacy coordinator as standard practice whenever scenes involve physical or emotional intimacy. And for several years, the charity Time’s Up has been calling for intimacy coordinators to become mandatory across the industry.
Taylor Hunt says actors should speak up too. “You should think of simulated sex scenes as high risk and as something that needs a specific professional involved,” he says. As such, the presence of an intimacy coordinator shouldn’t be seen as a luxury.
That applies across all levels of production, whether you’re working on a student short or a major TV series. If a production can’t afford a highly experienced coordinator, Taylor Hunt says, there may be newly trained professionals who are more accessible. “Often they are keen to get their teeth into things,” he adds.
Taylor Hunt is clear about one thing: Training is essential. There are lots of places you can do it, including the National Film and Television School and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. “Be really clear about what you’re getting from the course and you’re not being ripped off,” he says, “just like you would with any training.”
There’s no single path into the profession. Some intimacy coordinators come from a theatre background, bringing experience in movement, choreography, or directing. Others enter through fields such as therapy or counselling. But Taylor Hunt stresses that an interest in the industry and a desire to work within its ecosystem is essential. “You have to be comfortable working with actors [and you] have to have an understanding of character and of script work. You need to be able to run a rehearsal room.”